


Lydia's Bad Day

by SchuylerSister16 (orphan_account)



Series: The Neverwinter High School Anthology [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, F/M, Family Angst, High School, High School AU, Sad, TAZ Balance, balance, extremely sad ya'll, idk how i'll manage that, it just gets worse as you go, maybe happy ending???, taz au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 22:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17875634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/SchuylerSister16
Summary: Lydia Iontas is just trying to make it through another day at Neverwinter High. This one, however, seems determined to drag her down.





	1. Getting Ready

“Hey mom…it’s me again. I know you’re super busy, but tuition is due in five days, and the lady in the office said ours hasn’t been paid. Call me back when you get the chance…and give Keats a kiss for me.” 

Lydia slammed her phone onto the vanity and raked a shaking hand through her blonde hair. That was the 2nd message she’d left for her parents, the 2nd message that they’d probably ignore. 

Her parents had made arrangements with the school to pay their tuition on a monthly basis, which was the only way they could afford it. But they’d been forgetful as of late, and Lydia feared that the financial office’s gracious extension would not be a repeat event. 

_ Thank god Sabine has early morning practice _ , she thought, not wanting her tough-as-nails roommate to see her in such a state. Breakdowns, in her opinion, were for weak bitches who couldn’t handle pressure, and she was decidedly  _ not  _ weak.  

Taking a few deep breaths to calm her jangled nerves, she plopped down at the vanity armed with a mascara wand and eyeliner. Putting on makeup was easy. Putting on makeup was one of the only things in her life that remained easy and unchanging.

It was going fairly well until her phone rang. Lydia screamed and jammed the mascara wand in her eye, nearly tipping her chair over in the process of scrambling for the phone.

“This is Lydia,” she chirped, hoping it was her parents as her eye stung painfully, sending black tears down her cheeks. She’d have to do her makeup all over again. 

From the other end came the sound of a few heart-wrenching coughs, then a sweet boy’s voice. “Hey Lyddi! I miss you.” 

Keats.

Lydia began to sob, silently of course, so as not to scare him. “I miss you too, Kiki,” she croaked, trying to conjure up some fake happiness. “How’re you holding up?” But it was pointless. Her whole body shook as tears spattered on the desk. 

Keats had gotten a cold over summer vacation. And then it got worse, and worse, and worse. The whole month of August was spent in waiting rooms and clinics, reading stupid magazines and worrying. No one could tell them what was wrong with him. Lydia and Edward left for school not knowing whether he’d last until winter break at the end of December. 

“Pretty good.” Another ominous round of coughing, Keat’s asthma exacting its revenge on his frail body. “The hospital isn’t so bad.”

Lydia’s heart stopped beating. Her breath caught in her throat. “Hospital?” 

“Yeah. Didn’t Momma tell you?” Hospital. Oh God, not the hospital. If Keats was in the hospital then it must be bad. No one knew what was wrong with him, except that he was sick and getting worse by the day.  

Lydia forced herself to speak. “I…I must’ve missed it,” she lied, knowing that her parents had forgotten her and Edward again. “Can you tell Mom and Dad to call me when you see them? It’s super important.” 

Her parents, in their stress and anxiety over Keats, often forgot about their oldest twins. The only way they found anything out about Keats was if he called them. And they’d promised to send their next tuition check…and it had yet to appear in the dorm’s mailbox.  

“Okay,” he said, his smile evident through the phone. “How’re you and Eddy doing?” 

It took Lydia a few seconds to gather herself. “Good. We’re doing good.” It wasn’t exactly lie. Ed was happy as a clam working on sets for the fall production of  _ A Midsummer Night’s Dream _ , and Lydia was actually enjoying her last year on the cheer team. 

“I wanna go and see the stage,” Keats gushed. “And meet all your friends!” Much like his older brother, Keats had a passion for building sets for his silly elementary school plays…before he’d gotten sick, at least. 

Lydia found herself smiling at his undying cheer. It was hard to not to. “I would love that,” she said, and this time, she didn’t have to lie. “Hey, how bout I have Eddy send you some pictures?”

“Okay, Lyddi!” There was a short pause on the other end. “I miss you guys,” he sighed, the cheer fleeing his voice. “Nobody has time to play board games with me.” Much like his older siblings, Keats had a passion for board games of all kinds. Candy Land was his favorite, followed closely by Monopoly.  

Lydia fought to keep herself calm. “Well…maybe we can come up to you for a weekend or something.” As soon as she said it, she felt even worse. Felicity Woods was a three-hour plane ride away. A trip home would be impossible, and Keats knew it. 

A quick glance at her clock. Breakfast opened in 15 minutes. She’d promised Marvey she’d be there looking pretty. “I’ve gotta go, Kikki,” she said, putting the phone on speaker while she got dressed.

“Aww man,” he whined playfully, “can’t you just stay with me forever?” Something about the way he said it hit Lydia right in the gut, and she had to sit down on the floor among Sabine’s dirty clothes. There was a tangible ache in her chest. 

“I wish I could, little wonder. I wish I could.” 

Keats didn’t seem to notice the choked sob in her voice. “I love you! Tell Eddy to call me.” 

“I love you too.”

She waited a few seconds just to make sure that he’d hung up, and then gave herself a full minute to ugly cry. When the minute was up, she began to get ready all over again. Scheduling her emotions was the only way she made it through every day. 


	2. Breakfast

Walking towards the breakfast line felt like walking onstage, but that was nothing new. Everyone in school was playing a role whether they admitted or not. And Lydia, having an abrasive personality and dressing boldly, felt that she’d been typecast as a fashion-obsessed, cheerleading bitch. 

But if that was all they saw her as, then was what she would be. 

“Darling, you look fabulous!” Brian, Edward’s purple-haired roommate, waved her over to the middle of the line like he hadn’t seen her in years. He looked…well there weren’t really words to describe Brian’s outfits. Interesting was the best she could come up with.  

Lydia flashed him her signature smile, which was one hair away from being a smirk. “Of course I do.”  

A giant hand rested on her waist. “Hey babe,” Marvey whispered in her ear, then picked her up and swung her without warning. Several students nearby scoffed at them, but Lydia didn’t care.

And contrary to popular opinion, she really did love him, and he really loved her. Not everyone could be as picture-perfect as Julia and Magnus. 

“You look hot,” he declared with a proud smile. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine.” 

Marvey tilted his head with a frown. “You suck at lying, Lyds.” As the other members of their little meal time crew began to arrive, he pulled her close so only they would hear, smelling of cigarettes and Old Spice. “Is its Keats?” 

Tears sprung to Lydia’s eyes, but she forced them back. “Yeah.” Besides her brother, Marvey was one of the few people who knew what was going on in her life outside of the school. He was also one of the few that cared to know. 

“I’m sorry, Lyds. Can you make it to lunch time?” On bad days, when one of them couldn’t keep it together, they’d sit under the bleachers. Marvey would smoke and crack bad jokes while railing against the establishment. Lydia would scroll Instagram and quote song lyrics. And there they would sit until they felt better. 

Feeling braver, Lydia straightened up in her hot-pink boots with a look of fierce determination. “Of course I can,” she declared, putting her hands on her hips and standing tall.

Magnus and Julia passed by, their noses turned up at Lydia and her friends. And she hated them. She hated Magnus, who’d ratted out Marvey and became a hero because of it. And she especially hated Julia, the  _ real  _ cheer squad bitch who relied on her boyfriend’s popularity to win herself friends. 

“Birds could nest in zose curls,” Brian whispered to her, and they both busted up laughing at Julia’s mane of frizz scraped back into a sad ponytail. Unlike Julia, Lydia took good care of her naturally white-blonde curls. 

Julia glanced over her shoulder at them, but said nothing, just sighed and rolled her eyes. Magnus shot Lydia a glare. 

“Taako looks like he just rolled out of bed,” added Edward, who’d just joined their little group. Why everyone liked Taako so much was a complete mystery. He was a self-proclaimed arrogant asshole, but if you said anything bad about him, half the school would be on your ass. 

Brian shot Taako a passing but critical glance. “Kravitz’s bed, you mean. Zat shirt isn’t his.” And the three of them dissolved into hysterical giggles, Marvey rolling his eyes at their fashion-centric shenanigans. 

“Critiquing fashion, are we?” Brian’s best friend Jenkins suddenly materialized behind her, but she was used to it. “How typical.”

“Morning, sunshine,” smiled Marvey. Most people were baffled that a gang leader, a purple-haired gay icon, and a nihilistic nerd could be friends, but it wasn’t all that surprising when you met them. 

Jenkins eyed him warily. “Good morning, Marvey.” He turned and studied Lydia carefully. “Orange fishnets? Really?”

“Of course,” said Lydia, striking a silly pose. “I always look my best on Monday mornings.” 


	3. 1st Period: Senior English

Lydia felt every eye in her senior English class go right to her orange fishnets, and she fought the urge to give everyone her middle finger. They were in school, after all, and she didn’t feel like spending the afternoon scraping gum off of the desks. 

Senior English was a highlight for most students, but not for Lydia. Mrs. Rachel was really nice, sure, but the assignments were hell and so were the other students. Lydia sat in the back next to Garfield Warrlen and Cam Jones, both of whom were idiots. 

“Nice outfit,” snickered Garfield, despite the fact that he was dressed in ratty jeans and a shirt that looked older than time itself. Sticking out of one of his pockets was a plastic bag, probably containing weed. 

“Says the one who looks like he fished his clothes out of a dumpster,” she retorted, annoyed that he’d criticized her leather miniskirt. Paired with a white tanktop and her favorite silver jacket, it had the uncanny ability to both attract and repel all the guys at school. 

Cam adjusted his red beanie and smiled. “She’s got you there, Garf.” Lydia actually didn’t mind Cam so much. Sure, he did suck up to Magnus and his crew sometimes, but he was pretty nice to her. 

“Alright students, please turn to page 342,” said Mrs. Rachel in her soft, sweet voice that reminded Lydia of her old kindergarten teacher. 

Class dragged itself on. Since most everybody in the class hated her, Lydia rarely spoke. It wasn’t because she was afraid of them, Lydia feared almost no one and nothing at Neverwinter High. It was simply because she was tired of the rolled eyes, and the whispered comments. 


	4. 2nd Period: Pre Calc

“What’d you get on the last quiz?” asked Edward, propping his feet up on the desk beside her as more students filled into the classroom. Both twins weren’t very good at math, but Edward was completely hopeless. 

Lydia sighed and tucked a pink-tipped strand of hair behind her ears. “C minus.”

“D plus,” he snorted, with a shrug of his bony shoulders. In front of them, the two youngest students in the class and the only freshmen were comparing test scores as well. Both of them got A’s.

Edward pulled out his phone and began texting someone. “How the hell do those kiddos pass those damn quizes?” Lydia shrugged. One of the freshmen, a skinny black kid with Harry Potter glasses, seemed to be a walking math textbook. The other, a girl with ratty blonde curls and taped glasses, hardly ever spoke but never missed a single question. 

“Lucas texted me last night,” Edward continued, not looking up from his phone. “Said he’d help us out if we gave him twenty bucks.” 

Lydia stifled a giggle behind her hand. Lucas was a slimy, annoying little rat, who had an unhealthy obsession with Lucretia Ipre and all things mathematical. “Why the hell would I do that? We could just buy the answers from Grimaldis.” 

Edward laughed a little, then his smile died. “Keats left me a voicemail.” He firmly planted his feet on the floor and put down his phone to look at Lydia. “You didn’t want to tell me that he was in the hospital?” 

“I’m sorry,” she snapped in a hushed tone so that prying ears wouldn’t hear. Discussing Keats at breakfast where anyone could hear them was out of the question. Plus, Brian and Jenkins always made it awkward. 

Edward’s handsome face started to crumple. “Next time, could you at least text me?” He ran a few shaking fingers through his blue-tipped hair, his aloof demeanor completely gone. 

“Buck up, Ed,” she hissed, grabbing his hand and smiling until her face started to hurt. He nodded, and the twins rearranged their faces into matching pouts of boredom. After all, they had a reputation to uphold. 


	5. 3rd Period: Art

The smell of paint drying was better than Febreeze as Lydia entered her favorite classroom of all. Taught by Mr. Travis, Art IV was one of the few places where she could cut loose and be creative. 

The only thing that spoiled it was Magnus Burnsides. The two barely acknowledged each other’s presence, but animosity still crackled between them, mostly because Lydia and Julia didn’t get along. 

“Today we’ll be doing some self portraits,” said Mr. Travis in an excited voice, with a smile that could barely be contained on his face. “Grab your stuff and paint whatever’s in your heart!” 

Lydia pulled out her favorite pencil and eraser, ready to attack the canvas. But something stopped her. All of a sudden, she felt sick inside, and unable to paint. Beside her, Magnus eagerly smeared paint onto the canvas with gleeful abandon. 

All she could think about was Keats and the missing tuition check. Keats and the check. The check and Keats. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she seemed to be unable to choke them back, which mortified her.  

Then she felt Magnus’s eyes on her, so she straightened her back and began to slash the pencil on the canvas. Angry gray strokes began to give an angular shape to her face. The tip of the pencil snapped. She sucked in air like a marathon runner as the whole class stared at her. 

“Lydia, is everything okay?” Mr. Travis materialized behind her, his voice all tenderness and concern. 

She jumped to her feet, swallowing tears and knocking her chair over in the process. “Everything is  _ fine _ ,” she snarled to him and the class at large, wishing they would all stop their goddamn staring. And she marched over to the pencil sharpener with flushed cheeks and shaking hands.

_ Pull it together,  _ she commanded herself.  _ Pull it together, right now. _


	6. Lunch

After the disaster in art class, Lydia didn’t feel like eating. After all, Magnus would surely tell Julia about her little outburst during art, and the whole squad would know about it by afternoon practice. 

Marvey plunked down beside her with a tray of nachos, the rest of his gang joining him. “How was art?” He asked while shoveling nachos into his enormous mouth. Marvey could eat more than anyone she knew, and did so often. 

“Absolutely wonderful,” she snapped back, feeling her insides shrivel as Magnus pointed at her and started whispering to Julia. 

Marvey, sensing that something was amiss, shot a nasty glare at his gang. “You three! Get lost.” His voice was downright menacing as he slipped his meaty arm around her shoulders. 

“Aww, c’mon, Marvey,” whined Little Jerry, his baby face screwing up into an over exaggerated pout. 

“I said scram!” His enraged bellow sent the three boys scattering to other tables in the lunchroom. Brian, Jenkins, and Edward observed all of it from afar, and sat somewhere else rather than tangle with Marvey. 

“Now, tell me what’s wrong,” he said in a soft voice, one finger absentmindedly playing with her hair. 

Lydia’s heart swelled, and for the third time today, she felt as if she would burst into tears. “It’s been a rough day,” she confessed, her voice choked and strained. He immediately set aside the nachos and held her tightly. “It feels like everything’s going wrong.” 

Marvey gently patted her on the back. “I know what you mean, babe. I know what you mean.” Lydia began to cry uncontrollably into his leather shoulder. Her thin shoulders shook and she could barely catch her breath. 

“Our tuition check is gonna be late,” she croaked, pulling away and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. “Keats is getting worse, art was horrible, and I’m going to fail pre calc!” 

“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll take care of all of it.” Marvey’s handsome jaw was set with determination. Lydia had no idea how he’d manage it, but she knew he’d get it done. When Marvey set his mind to do something, he did it. 

The two of them said nothing, they just held hands and shared the plate of nachos while watching lunch period go by. The drama kids poured over copies of Shakespeare as Edward hunched over his sketchbook, undoubtedly drafting new sets. Girls reapplied makeup and picked at salads. Boys roughhoused and chugged sodas. All in all, a perfectly ordinary day. 

Lydia watched Julia Waxman stand up and start to cross the room towards her. “Bitch alert,” Lydia muttered to Marvey, who immediately put on his fiercest scowl as Julia reached their table. 

“What do you want, Waxman?” Marvey growled, which would’ve scared most girls. Not Julia. The knowledge that Marvey had loved her at one point made Lydia’s blood boil. 

Julia shot him a glare, and then turned to Lydia with a smile packed with pity and derision. “I just wanted to make sure that you’re going to be at cheer practice today.” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” At Lydia’s defensive snarl, Julia’s smile began to fade away, but she quickly brightened it again. Unlike her boyfriend, Julia could always smile in the face of hostility. It made her look weak, and like a fool. 

“You look like you’re having a rough day,” she explained as Lydia’s vision began to turn red. Nothing pissed her off more than being the object of Julia’s pity. 

“I’ll be there, okay!” Julia took a step back as Lydia’s yell cut through all of the cafeteria noise. Everyone was staring, but she no longer cared. “Mind your own damn business, Waxman!” 

Julia shrugged and walked back to her table. Many people smiled at her, and glared at Lydia in turn. Lydia wanted to spit on them all, but settled for raising her middle finger with a nasty smile. From Julia’s table, Lup returned the finger. But Lydia didn’t care. Lup and all the rest of them could go to hell.  


	7. 4th Period: Government

Mrs. Teresa handed Lydia her paper on imperialism as she made her way into class, taking her seat beside Marvey and Brian. “You got off easy,” Brian snipped as he spied the bright red B at the top of her paper. “Zat woman gave me a D.” 

“You bought that paper from Grimaldis,” Lydia shot back with a self-satisfied smirk. “You get what you pay for.” Greg Grimaldis made a living selling old papers to desperate students, but Mrs. Teresa wasn’t stupid, and knew that the writing had not been done by Brian. He was lucky that she hadn’t reported him for plagiarizing. 

Marvey said nothing, having been so drunk the night before the due date that he’d forgotten about the paper. Lydia did his best to help him maintain a D average, but had been too busy with her own to help him that night. 

Taako and Lup took their seats behind her, resolutely pretending like the three misfits in front of them didn’t exist. Lydia fought the urge to ask Lup where she’d gotten such ugly running shorts. 

Why everyone loved the Cerci twins was a complete mystery to her. They were abrasive, self-centered assholes who looked down on almost everyone. But most days, the whole school seemed to be enamored with them. 

“Babe, can I see your notes for chapter 2?” asked Marvey politely, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Marvey had one of the worst cases of ADHD Lydia had ever seen. That, combined with his raging against any and all authority figures, made it nary on impossible for him to pay attention in class. 

But Lydia didn’t mind at all, and immediately passed him her candy apple green and neon pink notebook. As Marvey flipped through the pages, she quickly checked her makeup with her phone camera. The decision to put on waterproof makeup had been wise. 

“Look at this pic of Jules in her uniform,” said Taako behind her. Lydia immediately opened Instagram. Sure enough, Julia’s post had gathered over 100 likes. Lydia had posted a nearly identical picture just a day before, and had only 10 likes to show for it. 

“Her and Mags look so cute together,” agreed Lup. Sure enough, the next picture was of Julia and Magnus in their cheer and football uniforms. 

Lydia’s heart sped up, but she forced it to stop. Marvey had freely admitted to loving Julia…but she’d never confessed to her massive crush on Magnus. If Marvey found out…well, Lydia actually had no idea what he’d do, but she couldn’t imagine that it wouldn’t go over well with him. After all, Marvey got jealous if some hapless freshman made the mistake of staring at her for too long. 


	8. 5th Period: PE

“Today we’ll be continuing our three-on-three basketball tournament,” yelled Coach Taylor, consulting his clipboard intently. PE was something of a mixed basket. On one hand, it was a great way to loosen up and blow off steam. On the other hand, Lydia’s class was full of athletes, which made for some rough competition. Everyone always got too competitive, and took the games way too seriously. As a result, there was usually an injury about once a week.   

“We’ll start with…the Starblasters and the Powerpuff Girls.” Lydia leapt to her feet, along with Sabine and Ren Mol'Diira, an overly nice girl who ran the student cafe. She was their Bubbles. Sabine was the self-proclaimed Buttercup, and being the leader, Lydia was their Blossom.

The opposing team consisted of Lucretia Ipre, Julia Waxman, and of course, Lup Cerci, Lydia’s rival. The two girls had hated each other since freshman year, and showed absolutely no signs of stopping any time soon.

“I want a nice, clean game, ladies!” Coach Taylor was yelling again, but Lydia paid him no mind. She was too busy staring down Lup, and dribbling the ball back and forth. Lup’s specialty was soccer, but she was pretty good at almost every sport.

Lup tucked a stray brown wave behind her ears, and with a frosty glare, declared, “I hope you’re ready to lose, Iontas.”

“Over my dead body,” she shot back with a snarl as Coach Taylor continued to blather about the rules.

“That can be arranged.” Suddenly, Taylor blew his whistle, and Lydia found herself being blocked by Lup, who was practically on top of her.

It was a tense game. Elbows “accidentally” ended up jamming into ribs, hair was pulled, and feet were used to trip people. The whole class was cheering for the Starblasters, which wasn’t exactly a surprise, but the Powerpuffs were ahead by three whole points.

“Sabine! Pass it!” With only ten seconds to go, Lydia caught the ball and flew down the court. Just as she was about to take the shot, someone’s hand smashed into her nose, sending the ball flying and pain stabbing through her head.

Lydia sank to the ground while clutching her bloody nose. “Holy shit, Creesh! I think you broke her nose!” It certainly felt like it as Lydia curled up into a ball on the ground with one hand over her nose. It was wet and sticky with blood.

Coach Taylor blew his whistle so hard it rattled in her head, as Marvey bellowed incoherently and scooped her up in his arms. “Who the hell did this?!” Her nose throbbed with every heartbeat.

“It was me,” admitted Lucretia, embarrassed but also grimly triumphant. “I got a little carried away. I’m sorry, Lydia.” Lydia said nothing as blood dripped through her fingers and onto her favorite Lululemon leggings, too dazed to respond. The entire class formed a knot around them, sensing a potential fight. Lydia buried her head in her hands, and hoped that nobody could see her.

Marvey set Lydia on her feet and got right up in Lucretia’s face. “Oh, you’re gonna be sorry,” he howled. The two of them dissolved into a shouting match that Coach Taylor and other students tried to break up.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lydia could see her reflection in a mirror. Her nose was a bloody mess, a green bruise beginning to blossom in the dead center. In short, it looked terrible and would most likely continue to look that way for a few days. A tear slipped down her cheek. Then another, and another. Then, a whole flood of them. Mortified, she tried to stop crying, but found herself unable to as the whole class stared at her. She attempted silent crying, but a strange, choked scream squeaked out of her throat. Several people snickered.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Marvey whispered, scooping her up and bustling out of the gym. “Let’s go to the nurse’s office.”


	9. 6th and 7th Period: The Nurse's Office

Lydia was relieved to learn that her nose wasn’t broken. “But you definitely should sit with some ice for a while,” advised Mrs. Sydnee, the kind and skillful school nurse. 

“Thank god,” she muttered to her lap. Mrs. Sydnee was so sympathetic, it took all of Lydia’s willpower not to break down and tell her about the rotten day she was having. 

Mrs. Sydnee patted her on the shoulder and smiled. “Have a nice day, Lydia.” She handed her the ice pack, and Marvey escorted her out.  Of course, she and Marvey had walked to the nurse’s office during passing period, so half of the school saw Lydia’s busted up nose as tears streamed down her face. Several students took pictures.  

“What’s your next class?” he asked, gently holding her hand as if fearful of breaking it. Lydia said nothing, but tried to get him out of the office as soon as possible, praying that the financial director wasn’t there. 

No such luck. “Miss Iontas, do you have a moment?” Both of them froze as if caught red-handed. Lydia turned to face Mr. Thorn, the school’s financial director, feeling dangerously close to throwing up. 

“No, she doesn’t, actually,” Marvey declared, squeezing her hand tightly. Lydia squeezed back, grateful that he was there to take up for her. The ice pack, which had seemed so cold in her hands, was downright hot compared to the ice in Marvey’s voice. 

Mr. Thorn gave him a withering stare. “Watch your tone, Mr. Gil.” He resumed his conversation with Lydia. “Your tuition is due in five days.” 

“I know,” she croaked miserably, feeling the eyes of all the office workers on her back. “It’s coming, I swear.” Ordinarily, she would’ve stared him down and been in control of the situation. But the Ibuprofen that Mrs. Sydnee had given her hadn’t kicked in yet, and she felt too tired to try appearing confident. 

“It was due two weeks ago,” Mr. Thorn reminded her in an icy tone. “This is the last time this year you’ll be receiving an extension, is that clear?”

Lydia felt hot all over as if underneath the rays of a spotlight. “Yes, Mr. Thorn.” She marched out of the office with confident steps, despite the ache in her head. As soon as they were out of sight, she slowed back down and took Marvey’s hand. 

“Are you gonna go to practice today?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her. Lydia shook her head and winced at the pain. It had been a shitty day, and she wanted it to be over.  Of course, the Knights were playing the Wildwood Wolves on Friday, which was three days away. Lydia wasn’t exactly looking forward to standing on Julia’s shoulders so that at least 500 people could see her almost-busted nose.  The courtyard was quiet as they exited the brownstone office. Most students were either in their dorms, or enjoying their 7th period after-school activities. Lydia dreaded entering the Balance dorm lobby, where most everyone would be studying or hanging out. 

Sure enough, as Marvey pushed open the glass door, everyone’s eyes snapped up from their books and conversations to stare at them. They were both a mess. Marvey had a few splotches of blood on his white workout shirt, and Lydia’s nose seemed to be the color and size of an avocado. 

Lucretia immediately stood up from a cushy leather chair and made her way over to them. “I’m so sorry, Lydia,” she apologized, with an expression that oozed sincerity. “Is it broken?” For one horrifying moment, she worried that Lucretia would pat her on the shoulder, but nothing happened. 

“It’s just bruised,” snarled Lydia with venom in her voice and fists clenched tightly. “No thanks to you.” And she marched towards the girl’s wing with her head held high, as if she didn’t care what they all thought of her. Whispers floated behind her, and a few snickers. 

Ignoring the rules forbidding boys in the girls dorms, Marvey’s heavy footsteps followed her down the hall to room 106. Inside, Sabine was reading and lifting weights. “God, Marvey, do you have to follow her everywhere?”

“Shut it, Sabine,” Marvey growled, and Lydia stifled a giggle. Marvey and Sabine hated each other. Then again, she and Sabine didn’t get along very well either.  

Lydia flashed Marvey a wide smile. “Gimme a minute to get changed.”

“Cool. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

Lydia scanned her closet for a second cute outfit to wear to dinner. “They could use that as a signal flare,” quipped Sabine as Lydia tugged on her favorite neon pink crop top. 

“Obviously,” she shot back with a smirk. “It lights up the night.” Technically, it was against dress code, but after 7th period, everybody stopped caring. Paired with white skinny jeans and purple converse, it was the perfect outfit for a sunny September afternoon. 

Of course, as soon as she opened the door to leave, she nearly smashed into Julia. “Watch it, Waxman!” The Knights’ new cheerleading uniform was a shade of blue that made Julia look like a princess. No wonder she’d gotten over 100 likes. 

Julia’s kind smile began to twist into something else entirely. “There’s no need to yell, Lydia,” she retorted with surprising venom. The smile had turned into an annoyed frown. 

Suddenly, Lydia found herself itching for a fight. “There’s no need to be a human dump truck!” Julia’s lovely brown eyes widened, then narrowed again. Lydia had obviously struck a chord, and she relished it. 

“Why are you being such a jerk?!” Lydia gasped in spite of herself. Heads were beginning to poke out of neighboring rooms to see what all the fuss was. Julia was almost  _ never  _ short with her, unless Lydia was stupid enough to hassle Magnus or one of her other dork friends. 

Lydia straightened up to her full height, wishing she’d worn heels. “Why do you have to act you’re so much better than me?!” The freshmen across the hall were watching in slack-jawed amazement at the fight unfolding. “What makes  _ you  _ so special, huh?!”

“Well, I actually have friends!” 

Dead silence echoed through the hall. Lydia’s mouth was popped open in hurt and surprise, but she quickly recovered. The two freshmen across the hall ducked back into their rooms with awed amazement. 

“I don’t need friends,” Lydia snapped, turning on her heel and stalking down the hallway. “They disappoint me.” The tiny pinpoint of pain in her chest grew into a deep ache as she entered the lobby again.  Julia was right, of course. She didn’t have any friends that weren’t her brother’s or Marvey’s. Sabine didn’t count since she made a point of avoiding Lydia whenever possible. 

Marvey sauntered over, having changed his shirt and regreased his hair. “You look great,” he declared without a trace of pity for her smashed nose. Lydia could show up wearing a garbage sack and Marvey would probably say the same thing to her. 

“So do you.” She meant it, but there was no warmth in her words. Marvey frowned at her, but she said nothing. A lump of an unknown emotion that would probably make her cry again was wedged firmly in her throat. 

“What’s wrong?” 

The thin thread that had been holding Lydia’s composure all day suddenly snapped in half. 

What’s wrong?! The better question would be what  _ wasn’t  _ wrong. 

The unknown emotion suddenly loosened its hold on her throat, and she could speak again in a bitter hiss. “This whole freaking day, Marvey!” She said it too loudly. Many heads turned to study them. 

“You don’t have to yell.” His gruff voice was like the low rumble of thunder. But he was really reminding her to not make a scene. To not draw attention to themselves. 

Lydia’s vision turned red with fury. “You sound just like Julia,” she snarled, knowing that it would make him mad. Any suggestion that Julia had rubbed off on him would likely result in him screaming and throwing things. 

But with a herculean effort, Marvey managed to keep his temper from flaring up. “Babe, I’m not your enemy.” His jaw was set tighter than a bear trap, but his voice was soft. 

“Just shut up, Marvey!” Dead silence followed. As Lydia crossed her arms, Marvey stepped closer to tower over her. His blue eyes that glittered with rage were so close to hers she could see nothing else. A hysterical-sounding giggle escaped her lips. 

And instead of yelling, his massive shoulders slumped and he turned to walk away. “I’ll see you at dinner, wonderful.” 

Anyone who didn’t know them very well would’ve thought he was insulting her, a dig at the fact that most everyone in school referred to her and Edward as “the wonder twins.” 

It was his nickname for her, and one that he only used when she needed it most. A reminder that he thought of her as something wonderful. No tears came to her eyes, though she did feel like crying.  

She did not call out for him, as much as she wanted to. She walked out of the lobby and began to jog towards the stadium, picking up speed as she went. Despite appearances, Lydia enjoyed running. It made her tired enough to go to sleep at night, and as an added bonus, it kept her figure looking trim too. 

When she reached the stadium, the football players were just beginning to file out, sweaty and streaked with turf. Most of them were extremely cute, but they all resented Marvey, and her by extension. Plus she wasn’t single. 

“Where ya going, Barbie?” Bain, a senior with a buzz cut and a thuggish face called, his eyes leering at her. 

Lydia stopped and slowly turned to face hin, breathing hard. “What’d you just call me, asshole?!” Boys catcalled her for one reason only: to make her feel small and uncomfortable. Half of the time, her being pretty had nothing to do with it. 

Bain smirked, and was about to say something much worse, when Magnus spoke up. “Knock it off, Bain,” he snapped with a glint in his eyes that meant business. Bain goggled at him incredulously. 

“I don’t need your help, Burnsides,” Lydia spat. Most girls would’ve been grateful to have been saved by Magnus Burnsides, the local white knight, but she resented him for assuming she couldn’t fend for herself. 

The other players, sensing that the excitement was over, shuffled away like lumbering giants. Bain trailed behind them, glaring at Lydia for all he was worth. And she was all alone with Magnus, a cool autumn breeze ruffling her hair. “I can fend for myself, you know.” The prospect of arguing with someone was like a tonic to her nerves. It got her blood going quicker and her mind racing to keep up with her mouth. 

Magnus snorted and crossed his arms. “Believe me Lydia, I know that. I just don’t like guys who catcall girls.” He said it with a pointed expression at Lydia, obviously referring to Marvey’s habit of doing so.  

Lydia remained unbothered by the dig. Marvey only did it to intimidate girls that got in his way, and he was just as faithful as Magnus. “And I don’t like guys who make me look weak.” Magnus sighed and rolled his eyes at the clouds. 

“Nobody here thinks you’re weak,” he declared in a voice that was devoid of pity and stated it as if it was a fact. This shocked her. Magnus rarely had nice words for her, and she  _ never  _ had anything kind to say of him. It was all rather confusing. Worst of all, her cheeks were turning pink. 

She smiled at him with contempt and arrogance, the sort of smile that made stomachs turn and signaled trouble to come. “Well, thank you, Magnus,” she replied sarcastically, putting her hand against her forehead as if to swoon. “What would I do without you?”

And without another word, she turned on her heel and strutted into the stadium, her peals of pretty laughter ringing through the entrance. But as soon as she was out of his line of sight, her shoulders sagged. The fight had gone out of her and the idea of running seemed too exhausting. 

Ping! 

A text. She unlocked her phone. It was from her mother. 

_ “Call me right now.”  _


	10. The Call

Lydia’s hands shook as she dialed her mother. She stood alone on the empty football field, feeling as if the sky was about to come crashing down upon her. 

A voice on the other end of the line. “Lydia, baby girl, is that you?!” Dread seeped into her bones. Andrea Iontas, her CEO mother who was normally unflappable and poised, seemed to be on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Much like her daughter, she kept her emotions secret at all times, except with her family. 

“Yes?” Lydia’s heart began to crack as her mother burst into tears.  _ That’s funny _ , she thought to herself in a moment of detachment,  _ she sounds just like me when she cries.  _

Suddenly, the sound of sobs faded and another voice spoke into the phone. “Lydia Leanna, do you have your brother with you?”

Talking had suddenly become difficult. “N-no.”

“Lydia, we have news about Keats.” Her father sounded clinical and distant, the CFO voice she knew so well. 

Her throat closed up. A small noise escaped her that her father interpreted as a signal to continue. “The test results came back today.” Another long pause followed, she could hear her mother’s quiet sobs in the background. 

“Keats has leukemia.” 

The ground rushed up to meet her all at once as she fell on her hands and knees, unable to breathe. Someone screamed in anguish. It took her a minute to realize it was herself. The scream died and faded into great, choking sobs. She wailed so loudly she felt her throat shred itself as she curled up into a ball. It echoed back at her from the bleachers and sounded deranged. 

Her father was saying something over the phone that she barely heard. “We’re flying you up Friday night…” 

Sweet little Keats, who loved to destroy her at Candyland, who invented his own playable board game at the age of five, could not have cancer. It simply was not possible. 

Her heart was scattered in a million pieces on the turf. Her chest felt like a dagger was being buried in it. An unknowable amount of time passed by as she lay on the turf and sobbed violently. At some point her parents hung up the phone. 

Time became meaningless. Memories flashed before her eyes. Teaching Keats how to cheat at poker. Helping him build school sets. Cradling him on the day he was born, asking her mother if she could hold him forever. 

“Lydia!” She opened her eyes and saw the sky turning orange and yellow. How long had she been here? It was Edward, panic scrawled across his pale face. “Are you okay?!” 

With a mighty effort, she sat upright and stared at her twin brother. There were dried tears on his cheeks, and his eyes were red and puffy. “Did they call you?” She nodded, and all they could do was stare at each other with pained expressions. 

“What are we going to do, Lydia?” 

A cold feeling swept over her. “What we always do, brother.” The time for crying was over and gone. They could do more on the plane ride home. “Pull it together.”

Edward goggled at her, but she continued to speak in a hoarse voice. “We won’t tell a soul about him. Everything’s going to be  _ fine _ . Do you understand?” She stood up on wobbly legs and grabbed Edward by the hands, pressing her forehead against his. 

“I understand,” he mumbled quietly, obviously still upset. But he straightened up too and wiped the remaining tears away. “We’ll be fine.” And they smiled at each other the way that adults do when everything’s falling apart but they can’t afford to fall apart too. 


	11. Dinner

“Sorry we’re late!” Lydia and Edward strutted into the cafeteria fifteen minutes late for dinner wearing smiles that were too wide and showed too many teeth. 

Several people had noticed Edward bursting into tears while on the phone, and apparently, Magnus and Bain had overheard some of Lydia’s mental breakdown. The whole school was buzzing with the news. Naturally, this meant that they had to show up to dinner looking pitch perfect, and in control of their lives. They had a reputation to uphold.  Everyone was staring at them in open mouthed shock at their almost matching clothes, and the fact that Lydia was practically showcasing her busted nose. 

Out of Lydia’s line of sight sat Magnus and Julia, both wearing identical concerned expressions. They knew something was wrong. And even though the twins treated her badly, Julia wanted to help.  But she knew better than to ask. 

_ I can’t think about it _ , Lydia thought to herself as the muscles in her cheeks twitched from smiling too hard.  _ If I think about it, I’ll start screaming in front of all of these idiots.  _

She watched as Marvey’s expression went from confusion to comprehension, and then sorrow for her. He was seeing right through her and the carefully crafted facade. And he was going to ruin it all as her bottom lip started quivering, a sure sign that tears were coming. 

But Marvey recovered and smiled broadly as if nothing was wrong. “That’s my girl,” he bragged to his cronies, and they seemed caught between jealous and bewildered. 

“Zat vas quite an entrance.” Brian clapped for them, and they both took overdramatic bows. Lydia could tell that both he and Jenkins were mildly confused, but unlike Marvey, they had no idea what was going on. 

Lydia squeezed in between Marvey and Lucas Miller. “Shove over,” she snapped, nearly toppling him off of the bench. Why a sniveling nerd like Lucas was at her table was a mystery. 

“Bitch,” muttered Lucas in the nasally voice that never ceased to annoy her. He was a beanpole kid with unkempt blonde hair and wire-rimmed glasses sitting on the bridge of his rather pimply nose. 

Marvey shot him a nasty glare. “Talk nice, Miller.” Lucas shrank back ever so slightly, fearing a beating from him as Lydia smirked at him triumphantly. She was not offended in the slightest. She’d been called a bitch by so many people it was practically a nickname.

Everyone was chatting and laughing, but Lydia heard none of it. Everytime she looked down at her plate of salad, her stomach turned. She gripped Marvey’s hand under the table so tightly that her nails were digging into his skin, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

Both she and Edward avoided each other’s gaze. It was easier that way. Lydia found herself mechanically saying things and smiling, but none of it was genuine. Edward was white as a sheet but still smiling and making conversation with Brian.   
“Hey Lyd?” Lucas snapped her out of her own thoughts so fast she got whiplash. “Is it true that _Lucretia_ busted your nose?” He was sneering derisively at her with a holier-than-thou attitude. Beside her, Marvey froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. 

Her fists clenched so tightly her nails dug themselves into her palms. “Is it true that  _ Lucretia  _ busted your ass after you tried to hit on Noelle?” Lucas turned an ugly purple color and sputtered loudly, but came up with no answer. It was a true story; Lucas had been stupid enough to harass Noelle in front of her, and Lucretia had single-handedly decked him. 

“I remember that,” Marvey snickered, his gang joining in the mockery. “She nearly broke his jaw, am I right?” 

Lucas looked as if he wished he was dead and buried somewhere, but somehow found his voice. “I didn’t exactly go down without a fight,” he muttered, his voice an octave higher than normal. 

“Oh that’s right, you pulled her hair and gave her a split lip.” Lydia’s voice dripped with contempt. Had she fought Lucretia today, they’d be calling an ambulance to take her to Neverwinter Memorial Hospital. 

Marvey couldn’t resist adding on. “Lucas has a thing for girls that can kick his ass.” The table fairly roared with laughter. Lucas had also had a crush on Lup, Carey, and even Lydia. All three had ended badly. 

“Shut up,” squeaked Lucas, glaring daggers at Marvey. “At least I don’t have a crush on an airheaded, annoying, goody-two-shoes cheerleader!” 

Everyone at the table froze, including Lucas. The only person who could mention Julia and not get the shit beat out of them was Lydia. Marvey’s face was brick-colored, a sure sign of bad things to follow.

As satisfying as it would be to watch Marvey beat the shit out of Lucas, Lydia knew it was time to head this one off at the pass. “Miller, you’d better clear out,” she warned, and she wasn’t kidding. She grabbed Marvey’s wrist and held tight. He and his gang would probably beat Lucas up here and now if she didn’t diffuse the situation right away. Jenkins and Brian were watching carefully as if their favorite tv show had just come on. 

“Letting a  _ girl _ fight your battles, eh Marvey?” Before anyone else could react, Lydia grabbed him by the chin, her long nails digging into his skin. Lucas looked absolutely petrified. 

“Apologize to me, Miller!” 

“I’m sorry.” He had the sense to look terrified as Lydia’s electric blue nails continued to dig into his face. There were so many powerful females at the school it was a wonder that he didn’t get beat up more often. 

Lydia looked back at her boyfriend. “This slimy little prick isn’t worth it,” she reminded, still not letting go of Lucas’s face. “Now get lost!”

Lucas fled the scene, leaving his tray and his math homework behind. Marvey sat back down, his face still tinged pink. They were both breathing hard as if they’d run a marathon. No one knew what to say.

For the first time all day, Lydia actually felt marginally better. Perhaps taking up kickboxing or something would help improve her mood. “Vell, zat vas exciting,” Brian joked as they took their trays back to the kitchen.

Jenkins nodded with an icy cold smile. “It would’ve been rather…amusing to see Lucas get his just desserts.” A small shudder went down her spine. Jenkins had an inexplicable appetite for violence, especially against those regarded as his enemies. Though she would never admit it aloud, the glint in his eyes sometimes made her nervous. 

As soon as they left the cafeteria, Lydia yanked Marvey around the corner, out of sight of the other students. Marvey stared at her blankly, the tips of his ears still pink. 

“Don’t go beating up that Miller kid, okay?” Marvey began to sputter in protest, but she grabbed his hand and plowed on. “I mean it! He’s not worth your time!”

Marvey’s shoulders slumped, and for a fraction of a second, Lydia worried that Lucas had actually gotten to him. But then he squared his shoulders and his usual smirk reappeared. “Okay, Lyd. I promise.” His smirk died and became something else. “Are you okay?”

For a nanosecond, Lydia was very tempted to lie to him. But they’d promised there’d be no secrets between them. “I got a call about Keats,” she replied in a cold, detached voice that did not belong to her. “He has leukemia.”

Marvey’s mouth flopped open, then closed. He seemed to be struck dumb by this announcement, and by the fact that Lydia wasn’t a sobbing mess. Recovering quickly, he scooped her up in his arms and held her tight. “Are you gonna be okay?” 

“Yeah,” Lydia lied, her face buried deep in his leather shoulder. “I’ll be just fine.”


	12. Nighttime

A mountain of papers loomed on the vanity, which also doubled as Lydia’s desk. Neverwinter High School teachers loved to pile on the homework, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the students had other activities.  “This blows,” muttered Sabine quietly, her nose buried in a book that looked extra boring. She was not exactly a scholar, but she scraped by. 

Lydia rubbed her hands against her eyes, smearing her makeup beyond repair. “What else is new?” It was 10:00, so dropping into Marvey’s dorm was out of the question. They were locked in the girls’ side of the building until 5 AM. 

“What was up with the entrance at dinner?” asked Sabine, not even looking up from her book. Lydia’s spine stiffened. No one had dared to ask her yet. Not even Jenkins or Brian had searched for a deeper meaning. 

Lydia scrambled for a lie. “Well…uh, you know…Ed and I were, just feeling, you know, like having some fun.” The book snapped shut. Sabine obviously did not believe her. 

“You wanna take another stab at a weakass lie?” Lydia gripped her mechanical pencil so tightly, her fingers began to turn white. “Or do you wanna tell me the truth?”

Lydia spun around and glared at her fiercely. “Why do you care?” It was a fair question. In their years as roommates, Sabine had not once asked her a question pertaining to her choices or personal life. In fact, it was the main reason that they’d been roommates for as long as they had. 

“Cause you look like shit,” smirked Sabine. 

Lydia stood up so fast that papers went flying everywhere. “I do not! And my day hasn’t exactly been rosy!” She hated that her voice cracked halfway through and sounded like a sob. She hated the pity on Sabine’s face. 

“So you busted your nose, big deal!” Sabine was decidedly  _ not  _ a sympathetic listener. “I’m sure you can survive without a pretty face.” 

“GODDAMMIT, SABINE, MY BABY BROTHER HAS LEUKEMIA!” 

Silence roared in her ears. Sabine actually took two steps backward, her jaw hanging open in shock. Lydia gripped the back of her chair for strength. But strangely, she did not cry.  Sabine’s mouth opened and closed like she was trying to say something. “I don’t want your pity,” rasped Lydia in a sour voice that betrayed how emotionally exhausted she was. 

“I wasn’t going to give you any.” Sabine sat back down on the bed, cracking her knuckles with a blank expression. “How old is he?”

“Nine.” Sabine muttered a couple of curses under her breath. Lydia didn’t know why she was telling Sabine. It was like someone else was piloting her mouth. Sabine wasn’t even her  _ friend _ , for God’s sake. She was just…well…Sabine.

“How’s Edward holding up?”

“Fine, I guess,” Lydia replied. Stony silence once again. She hated herself for telling Sabine. The whole damn school would probably know about it now. And she didn’t want to be pitied by anyone. Not Julia, not Magnus, and certainly not Sabine. 

Sabine stood up and began to pace. “Why are you asking me this?” Lydia was genuinely curious. Sabine had never been slightly interested in her personal life, and now all of a sudden, she was privy to some of the most intimate details. 

“I’m trying to be nice, Lydia.” She stopped pacing and looked at Lydia like she was crazy. 

Another unwanted phrase escaped her lips. “Thank you,” said Lydia, though she was angry that someone else knew about Keats. Information at the school was a weapon, and she’d just granted Sabine access to an entire arsenal. 

“You can tell me this shit and I won’t blab.” Sabine had a deadly serious expression on her face as she began to pull on her pajamas. “Seriously. I don’t judge.”  Lydia nodded as she turned back to her math homework. Behind her, Sabine got ready for bed and shoved things into her backpack. For a few minutes, she tried to solve her calculus problems, punching things into her calculator and periodically scribbling down answers. But it wasn’t long before she caved. 

“Well, it all started this morning when I left my mother a message…”

And so Lydia told a snoring Sabine about one of the worst days she’d ever had. Of course, Sabine didn’t answer, but it felt surprisingly good. 

And as bad as that day had been, tomorrow would be different.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> | The End |  
> Thanks to everyone who left kudos & commented!


End file.
